CHSAF. 205: God commandeth Moſes to ſend Spies to ſearch out the land of Canaan, 1, 2, 3. their names, 4 -—- 15. Moſes's ommanament where to go, and what 70 do, 16 22. The:r return with the fruits of the land, and their report, 23 29. They are encouraged by Caleb, 30, 31. But zen other diſheartens them by their falſe Report, 32 -- A N D the LORD fſpake unco Moſes ing,
a In anſwer to the peoples petition about it, as is evident from Deut: 1. 22+ And it is probable from the following ſtory, Thar the people deſired it out of diffidence of God's promile, and provi- dence,though Moſes liked of it as a prudent courſe to learn where or how to make the firſt invaſion. And God granted their deſire for their trial and puniſhment, as well knowing from what rootit came.
2 * Send thou men 6, that they may ſearch the iand of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Iſrael: of every tribe of their fathers c ſhall ye fend a man, every one a ruler d among them.
b Do as the people preſs thee to do. c (7.e. ) Which comes
from their ſeveral parents or Patriarchs. 4 A perſon of wiſdom and authority, which might make his witneſs more conſiderable
with the people. 2 And Moſes, by the commandment of the LORD,
ſent them from the Wiiderneſs of Paran : all thoſe men ere heads of the children of Iſrael, 4 And theſe were their names Of the tribe of Reu- ben, Shammua the ſon of Zaccur. 5 Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the fon of Hori. 6 Of the tribe of J udah,Caleb the fon of Jephunnehs 7 Of the tribe of Iffachar, gal the fon of Joſeph, 8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oſhea e the ſon of Nun.
e Called alſo 7oſbua, wer: 16.
9 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palto the ſon of Raphu.
10 Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the ſon of Sodi.
11 Ofthe tribe of Joſeph, namely, of the tribe of Ma- naſſeh f, Gaddi the Som of Suſi.
F (i. e.) Of that part of the tribe of Joſeph, which is peculiarly | Called zhe tribe of Manaſſeh, as the other part of it was called rhe tribe of Ephraim, ver: 8. The name of Joſeph is elſewhere appropriated to Ephraim, as Ezek: 37. 16, 19. Rev: 7. 8.c here to Manaſſeh ; poſ- ſibly to aggravate the ſin of the Ruler of this tribe, who did ſo baſely degenerate from his noble anceſtox Joſeph.
35- a, ſay-
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14 Of the tribe'of Naphtali, Nahbi the ſon of Vophſi. 15 Ofthe tribe of Gad, Geuel the fon of Machi. 16 Thele are the names of the men which Moſes ſent to ſpy out the land : and Moſes called Oſkea the ſon of Nun, Jehoſhua g. CE ON g Ojhea notes a deſire of Salvation, fignify g, Save we pray thee, but Jehoſhua , or Joſhua includes a promiſe © of Salvation, that he ſtould fave, or that God by his hands ſhould ſave the people. 50 this was a prophecy of his ſucceſſionto Meſerin the government, and of theſucceſs of his arms.
17 And Moſes ſentthem to ſpie out the land of Ca- nzan, and faid unto them, Get ye up this wey ſouthe ward þ, and go up into the mountain z:. |
hþ (z.e.) Tnto the Southern part of Canaan, which was the near- eſt part, and the worſt roo, being dry and deſert, 7: 15. 1, 3s Judg: 1. 15. Pal; 126. 4. And therefore fitteſt for them to enter and paſs through with leſs obſervation. # (:. e.) Into the moun- tainous country, and thence into the valleys, and ſo take an exa&t turvey of the whole land, :
1s Andfſee the land what it is &, and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be ſtrong or weak, tew or many. ,
k Both for largeneſs, and for nature and quality; as is more particularly exprefled, wer: 19. 29.
19 And what the land js that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad 1, and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents »s or in {trong hoids:
{ Healthful, or unwholeſome, fruitful or barren. m As the Arabians did, or in unwalled Villages, which, like tents, are ex« poſed to an enemy.
20 And whae the land is; whether jr be fat » or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And beye of good courage o, and bring of the fruit of the land,
(now the time was the time of the firſt ripe grapes)
z Rich and fertile. o Doubt not but God will preſcrve you in this dangerous Journey, and be not wfiſmayed or diſcouraged if you find the people numerous, porent, arid well fortified.
21 So they went up, and ſearched the land, from | the wilderneſs of Zin p, unto Rehob, as men come to
Hamath 9.
p In the ſo»th of Canaan, Numb: 34. 3. Joſ: 15. 3. differing from the wilderneſs of Sin which was nigh unto Egypt, Exod: 16. r. q (7. e.) Fromm the South they paſſed through the whole land, even ro the Northern patts of it, Kehob, a city in the North: weſt parr, Joſ. 19: 28: Juag: 1: 31: and Hemath, a City in the North-eaſt part, Joſ: ig. 35. Exek: 47. 179. And that they might more expediti- ouſly and ſecurely perform this office, it is probable, thar they divided themſelves into ſeveral ſmall parties, and informed them- ſelves not only by their eye, bur alſo by their ear, and the infor- mar#10n of perſons of whom'they enquired abour the nature and condition of their land ”
22 And they aſcended by the ſouth r, andcame s un- *Joſh: x5; to Hebron: where * Ahiman, Sheſhai, and Talmai, the 7g, © children of Anak t weire: (now Hebron wes built ſeven Judg: r.. |
years before Zoan in Egypt «.) Gs
r Here Moſes having generally deſcribed their progreſs and courſe from South to North, now returns more particularly to re- late ſome memorable places and paſſages, as that having entred the land in the Southern parts, they travelled them till they came to Hebron. 5s Heb: He came, to wit, Caleb, as appears from Jof: 14. 9g, 12, 14. For, as we now intimared, the ſpies diſtributed their work among them, and went either ſeverally; or by pairs, and, it ſeems, the ſurvey of this part was left to Caleb. + A famous giant ſo called, whoſe children theſe are called, cither more gene- rally, as all giants ſometimes were, or rather more ſpecially be- cauſe 4rbah, from whom Hebron was called Kiriath-arbah, was the father of Anak. of: 15. 13. And this circumſtance is mentioned as an evidence of the goodneſs of that land and ſoil, becauſe the giants choſe it for their habitation. « This ſeems to be noted to confront the Ezyptians, who vainly boaſted of the antiquity of their City Zoan above all places.
23 * And they came unto the + brook of Elhcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluſter of grapes, and they bare ic between two upon a ſtaff x; + br Pala and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. ty. .